Automatic package separator for conveyer systems



Mai2 2,1923. 1 1,45 ,029

. 'T. M. MILLS ET AL.

' AUTOMATIC PACKAGE SEPARATOR FOR CONVEYER SYSTEMS -,Fi.1edAug .'22.192g.

INVENT RS FmMAs/W. ILLS.

JOHN T644811 7 NE I F Fatented May 22, teas. i intense UNET i lhl t il@FFEQ.

THOMAS MILLS AND JOHN T. CLARK, OF FRESNO, GALIFOIRQNEA; SAID MILLSASSIGNOR TO SAID CLAEK. s

AUTOMATIC PACKAGE SEPARATOR FOR GONVEYER SYSTEMS.

Application filed August 22, 1922. Serial No. 583,621.

To all whom it may concern: suitable distance above the ground by Be itknown that we, THOMAS M. MILLs transverse members 7 and legs 8.Extendand JOHN T. CLARK, citizens of the United ing downwardlyandoutwardly. at an angle States, and residents of the city of Fresno,from the outer sides of members and 6, and

5 county of Fresno, and State of California, terminating atthe upperedge of members 7,

, have invented new and useful Improvements are the stationary tables 9and 10 upon the in Automatic Package Separators for C011- upper face ofwhich are mounted rollers 11 veyer Systems, of which the following is aand 12, the'purposeof which will be herespecification. after explained.Extendingx longitudinally 10 Our invention relates primarily to a packofour table, formed in the upper edges of age separator for gravitysystems such as members 7, at the outer termination of memare used indistributing boxes to the packhere 9 and 10, are recesses 13 in whichare ing tables used in packing fresh fruit. mounted the box supportingmembers 147, the

Usually in packing fresh fruit the lug purpose of which is to supportthe lower 15 boxes in which the fruit is brought from the ends of thelug boxes. Secured on the outer growers are fed to the packers along aconedges of members 13 are stops 15 which veyer table formed of rollers,at each side of serve to hold the lug boxes positioned upon which areprovided the packing tables at tables 9 and 10. which the packers standand transfer the As best shown in Fig. 3, our conveyer 20 fruit from thelug boxes to the containers in table comprises a plurality of setsofrollers which the fruit is marketed, The lug boxes 4, the rollers ofeach set being, mounted so travel along the conveyer table until apackthat their upper surfaces form a slight ining table is reached, whenthe packer there cline or grade horizontally, the highest rollstationedpulls abox off the conveyer side er of one set and the lowest roller ofthe ad 25 ways on to said packing tables. Heretofore, joining set beingadjacent, the effect being in the use of this system considerabledifiito produce a series of inclines, the high rollculty has beenencountered by the packers in er of each set serving to prevent theboxes pulling the boxes off side ways owing to the or packages fromtravelling backwards, the fact that the ends of the. boxes abutted tolength of each grade. being sufficiently long- 30 gether, necessitatinggreat effort in sepaer thanthe packages to be handled toperrating thesame. mit the same to become separated slightly.

It is the object of our invention to provide In the use of our table thepackages will be means in a device of the above character for fed byhand or otherwise to the conveyer automatically separating the boxes,thereb table at the inlet end 16 and will be pro eliminating the abovedifficulties. pelled. by hand, or otherwise, in the direction Otherobjects and advantages will appear of the arrow in Figs. 1 and 3, eachsucceedhereinafter and, while we have shown and ing package or box beingusedto propel the will describe the preferred form of our inrow of boxestoward the other end in the vention, we wish it understood that we dousual manner. When the pressure is renot limit ourselves to. suchpreferred form moved from the end of therow of boxes or but that variouschanges and adaptations packages each package will travel by gravity may:be made therein without departing down its particular incline until theend from the spirit of our invention. contacts with the highest roller,when it In the drawings accompanying and formwill be brought to a stop.As the distance ing a part hereof: between the highest rollers isgreater than we Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a distributing the lengthof the packages the same will be table equipped with our device.separated thereby permitting any particu- Fig. 2 is a left handelevation of Fig. 1. lar box being withdrawn side ways without Fig, 3 isan enlarged fragmentary detail interfering with any of the other boxesin the illustration of the prime feature of our in row. As the lug boxesare emptied by the vention. packers the same are removed from the sta-Referring" to the drawings, our device tionary tables and are placedupon the reoomprises a central conveyer table composed turn conveyer 17down which they travel by of rollers 4 supported by side members 5gravity to the end 18 from whence they are 55 and 6. Members 5 and 6 aresupported at a removed by the workman. The shelves 19 11 are provided tosupport cull boxes in which the culls are placed from the lugboxesduring the packing, from' whence they are removed in any desirablemanner.

Having described our invention, .what we claim is:

l. A'conveyer table comprising a plurality of sets ofrollers,the-rollers of each set being so mounted that a planepassing centrallythrough all of said rollers is slightly inclinedto the horizontal;

2. A "conveyer table formed of a plurality of setsofrollers revolublymounted at their ends, the rollersof .eaehsetbeing so mounted that theirupper surfaces form an incline with the ;.horizontal, the high roller ofeach set and the lower roller of each adj oinin set being adj acent,whereby packages are prevented from moving back-- wards. I I -13. Aconveyer table. formed of aplurality of sets of rollers, the rollers ofeach set being so mounted that their upper surfaces are slightlyinclined to the horizontal, the inclination of each of said setofrollers being'in parallel planes.

4:. A 'conveyer table comprising apluraL ity of rollers revolubly'mounted at their ends, said rollers being so mounted as to form aplurality of inclines extending in thesame direction, the highest rollerand the lowest rollerof the adjoining sets being adjacent.

5. Aconveyer table comprising a plurality of rollers revolubly'mountedat their ends, :saidrollers being so mounted asto form a plurality ofinclines with the horizontal, the highest roller of each'set acting setbeing so mounted thattheir upper surface forms an incline to thehorizontal, the

direction of inclination being in the same direction for each set ofrollers.

8. A conveyer table formed of a plurality'of sets of rollers the rollersof each set being so -mounted that their upper surfaces are inclinedslightly with the horizontal, the inclineofeach set of rollers being ina parallel plane, said inclination being'upr ward in the direction"which the packages travel. 7

9. A conveyer" table comprising a plurality of sets of rollers therollers of each 'set being so mounted as to form a plurality of inclineswith the horizontal, the inclination of each set of rollersbeing inparallel planes whereby the highest roller'of each set acts as a stop toprevent thepa'ckage. adjoining set from .moving v carried by thebackwards.

- 10.-An' automaticpackage separator for conveyer systems comprisingatable'formed of a pluralityof sets of rollers along which packagesarepropelled,"the rollers of each set being mounted so that their uppersurfaces form an incline plane,v said inclination' extendin movement ofthe package supported by the adjoiningset, the incline of each set beinof alength to permit a slight backwar movement of" the packages whenpressure is removed therefrom, whereby the adjoin-z ing ends of saidpackages areseparated.

upwardly in the direction of travelof said packages, thehighest rollerof each set acting to limit the backward 11. In. an automatic packageseparator I for conveyer' systems a conveyer"-table formed of aplurality ofsets of rollers alon which packages areadapted to bepropellethe rollers of each set being so mounted that when said propelling meansis inoperative each of said'packages will travel a short distancebackward," whereby the adjacent ends thereof areicaused to separate.

In witness that we :claimithe {foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 11th day of August, 1922. I i Y H THOMAS M. MILLS.

.T, CLA c p

